Eight U.S. states unveil initiative to put more zero-emission vehicles on roads

byonMay 30, 2014

LOS ANGELES, May 30 — Governors from eight U.S. states on Thursday announced a bold collective action plan to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the roads in their states by 2025.

The eight participating states are California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont. The multi-state effort is meant to expand consumer awareness and demand for zero-emission vehicles, according to a press release of the announcement posted at the website of the State of California.

Prior to Thursday's announcement, the eight governor signed a cooperative agreement in October 2013, in a bid to revolutionize the automobile market by promoting zero-emission vehicles. In the agreement, they identified specific actions they would promote within their states and joint cooperative actions these states would undertake to help build a robust national market for electric and hydrogen-powered cars.

The eight signatory states represent more than 23 percent of the U.S. car market.

Statistics show there are nearly 172,000 zero-emission vehicles on the roads in the U.S. as of April. Sales of such vehicles doubled over the past year alone, with more than half of those sales occurring in the eight signatory states. (PNA/Xinhua)